Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

The department currently offers the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in mechanical engineering. The department does not have a language requirement for the Ph.D. degree.The program of courses and research for both the master's and doctoral degrees is tailored to the background, needs and interests of the individual student.

Current areas of research include:
Smart, active, and soft materials: sensing and actuation, stimuli-responsive shape-programmable matter, artificial muscles, biomimetic and soft robotics
Advanced manufacturing and materials processing: 3D printing and bioprinting, laser processing, composite materials and structures, tribology and surface science, micro-/nanomanufacturing, Micro-/nanoscale transport, energy conversion and storage
Theoretical and computational mechanics: micromechanics, multi-scale modeling of material electrical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties, continuum mechanics
Experimental mechanics: in situ microscale mechanical testing, plasticity and fatigue of high-strength, light-weight alloys
Elasticity, dynamics, and control of structures: fluid-structure interaction, atomic force microscopy
Data-driven and nonlinear control, bioinspired sensory integration
Advanced multi-phase turbomachinery, Rarefied gas, large fire, and augmented heat transfer, porous media heat and mass transfer
Nuclear packaging safety

We expect applicants to have a grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) or better for the B.S. degree program or the last two years of course work for MS program applicants, and a minimum GPA of 3.25 (4.0 scale) for Ph.D. program applicants.

We expect the GRE scores of Verbal + Quantitative to be 300 (1100 in old 800 point scale) or higher. We prefer applicants with scores above 70th percentile in the Quantitative GRE exam (>155, or >700 in old 800 point scale).

Students whose native language is not English, must take the TOEFL or IELTS unless they have completed BS/MS degrees at an English speaking university. The minimum acceptable score for applicants is 79 for internet-based TOEFL (213 computer based or 550 paper based), or 6.5 for IELTS.

TOEFL: 550 (paper) or 79 (internet)
IELTS: 6.5 (academic version)